


Magnus' Soft Spot

by Priscibeur



Series: Soft Spots [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alec has a soft spot for Magnus, Alec works for Asmodeus, Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Catarina is a Good Friend, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Magnus has soft spot for Alec, Magnus is a business man, Raphael is a Good Friend, They both like each other but don't know the other do
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 19:31:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14625507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Priscibeur/pseuds/Priscibeur
Summary: Based on @alecwinchesterr's prompt on Twitter: “Magnus Bane, son of business man Asmodeus Bane, is a troublemaker, he's rich and hot and he knows it. He's mean and untouchable yet everyone wants him, except Magnus finds himself having an incessant soft spot for his father's shy but beautiful assistant, Alec Lightwood”





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlecWinchester](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlecWinchester/gifts).



> Hi people! How's your day? Just a warning, this fic got out of control. Half of it wasn't planned, it was supposed to be a simple one-shot and it turned into multi-chaptered fics in a series, yay! So, if you want to, you'll see more of those two. I still need to lay out my plan and write but it will definitely come out some day.
> 
> This fic is a gift to AlecWinchester! If you follow her on Twitter, you know she tweets the best fic ideas (and I may or may not have a file full of screenshots in my phone). So I truly hope you'll like it, if you don't, it's totally okay.
> 
> I changed a few things from the prompt, so Alec won't be completely shy. I live for BAMF Alec so I needed him to get angry and tell people a piece of his mind haha! 
> 
> If you want to yell at me, or just evacuate your frustration, please do so in the comments, I'll answer to everyone. :)
> 
> I'll leave you guys to it now, I hope you'll like it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now I'm going to hide myself under my blanket haha.
> 
> Enjoy guys !
> 
> PS: I'm not a English native speaker and this wasn't beta-read so all the mistakes are mine and my English teachers haha. I'm going now.

“No way” he said. “There is no way in hell I will do this for you.”

Asmodeus sighed and tilted his head to the side. He had expected it. Of course, Magnus was not going to surrender without a fight.

“Son, I am not asking you the impossible” he said. “All I want is for you to go to Chicago, to attend the opening party in my name then you can go back to your life.” Magnus sent a cold smile to his father.

“I understand, father. But what’s in it for me?”

“Media attention?” The Banes turned their heads towards Asmodeus’ assistant. Alec Lightwood. The dark-haired was standing next to his boss, facing Magnus who was sitting on the chair, on the other side of the desk. It had been four years since Magnus had met Alec. Well, most specifically, it had been four years since Asmodeus had hired him, so Magnus saw him every now and then. However, he had to admit he saw his father more often now that Alec was here.

Magnus didn’t know what it was. Perhaps his shiny hazel eyes that always lit up when they were talking. The way he seemed so confident every time Asmodeus gave him instructions. Or, the shy smile he sent Magnus when the older man was flirting with him. Altogether, it had to be the fact that Alec embodied the tall, dark and handsome kind of guy Magnus always loved. And that was definitely the main reason why each time Alec got involved in his discussions with his father, he tended to be a bit more … flexible, to say the least.

“And how so, Alexander?” Magnus asked, leaning back against his chair. “I already have all the media attention that I need.”

“Yes, but not for the right reasons” Alec countered.

“You wound me” Magnus gasped. “I get attention because of my incredible parties, my clubs …”

“Your hangovers” Alec interrupted him. “The many, many lovers who claimed you broke their hearts. The possible pregnant girls. Your insufferable behaviour. Should I keep going?”

“I think you made your point” Magnus gritted between his teeth. “So, please” he started again, when Alec sent him a proud smile. “Explain to me how this party will come to my advantage.”

“I’m glad you asked” he smiled proudly. Magnus couldn’t control the smile that grew on his face when he watched Alec get ready to explain everything to him. “Every important business man on the East Coast will be attending. They will all be waiting for the Banes. Everyone thinks your father is going to attend, because you’ve clearly stated that you have no intention in taking over the business. However, if you show up and show your support to your father, you will win some credibility and probably some investors. Everyone loves your clubs, no matter how much they deny it, your clubs are pretty well-known. Imagine if you connected them to the company, it would …”

“Is that what this is about?” he cut him off sharply. “Get me to involve my clubs in the family business?”

“It is not” intervened Asmodeus. He exchanged a glance with Alec. “As Alec said, it would be beneficial for you to attend to party and, yes, it will benefit me as well. So think about it and give me answer by tomorrow afternoon.”

Magnus let out a puff, rolling his eyes. That was the one detail he loathed about his father. He just didn’t care. Magnus could easily admit they did not share the best relationship, but he liked to think there was still some respect between the two of them. But clearly, he was wrong. Well, Magnus respected his father. No matter how much he hated him, he couldn’t deny he was a great business man, who built his company from scratches and now owned almost the entire city. Magnus had tried so hard to live up to his standards, but he quickly understood it was not possible. He could never please his father, no matter what he did, his father would always blame him for all the things that went wrong in his life, including the death of his mother. Magnus could easily remembered the way his father looked at him when she killed herself. Like it was his fault.

Deep down, Magnus knew it wasn’t, however, a part of him couldn’t help but blame himself. After a few years, Magnus decided to follow his path and stop trying to follow his father’s. He was not living the most conventional life, far from it, but he enjoyed most of it. He had a few, but close friends, an amazing place where he lived in and a faithful cat he went back to at home.

Asmodeus Bane always imposed things. He could try and make you think you had a choice, but at the end, you’d have to give in and accept whatever he was asking. Magnus, on the other hand, had mastered the way to drive his father crazy by never doing what he asked. And this time, he would do exactly the same.

“How about, you give me a few days to think about it instead?” Magnus suggested.

“Boy, I do not have time to wait a few days. I need to know your answer tomorrow” his father replied in a cold tone. Magnus sent him a hypocritical smile.

“But I need a few days to think, I shouldn’t take any rushed decision, don’t you think?” he teased his father. Magnus uncrossed his legs and stood up, followed by Alec and Asmodeus’ gazes.

“I shall contact you when I’ve made my decision. Until then, I have clubs to run. Alexander. Father” he concluded, lightly bowing his head.

He didn’t wait for any reaction and just strolled out of the room. Asmodeus had his fists clenched, wondering how he had managed to raise such a stubborn and selfish son.

“Talk to him” he said to Alec. “I need him to go. Convince him. I don’t care how you do it, just do.”

Alec nodded quickly, promising he would do everything in his power. He slightly bowed his head and left the office, asking to himself how he was going to convince the headstrong Magnus Bane to give in to his father’s request.

***

Magnus took another sip of his drink and smiled at the crowd, that he could overlook at from his VIP section. Pandemonium was becoming more and more popular over the years and Magnus couldn’t be prouder. He could still remember the day he pitched the idea to Raphael, his best friend and now assistant. He thought Raphael was going to have a stroke but he had stay still for an alarming amount of time. Granted, Raphael like to show as little liveliness as possible, but it had been a whole new level. After that, he had insulted Magnus with all the Spanish swear words he could think of —which were a lot— before finally settling down to actually listen to his idea.

Five years later, Magnus had opened two other clubs in town, that were running pretty well, but Pandemonium was his baby and it held a special place in his heart. He was incredibly proud of the work he —and Raphael— had accomplished to make this establishment one of the most respected and appreciated of the city and he couldn’t ask for more.

However, his joyful mood was disturbed by a brunette coming his way. He recognised the shape of her body from the other side of the club and couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Camille Belcourt. They shared this on/off relationship —if you could call it that— and things were good. Well, the sex was amazing but the woman herself was another story. Magnus had made it clear since the beginning that their relationship was never going to be anything more than just casual sex. No strings attached, no promises, just good sex every now and then, when they felt like it and that was it. Unfortunately, Camille was expecting more and that was something Magnus could not give to her.

She reached him, with a big smile on her face, and Magnus took the time to look at her outfit. Her typical short and skin-tight dress, a red one today, black high heels that made her look much taller than she actually was and bright red lipstick. She put her arms around Magnus’ shoulders and placed a kiss on his lips. Not the timid and delicate kind, no. The loud and almost territorial one that would make anyone wanting to approach Magnus back off immediately. When she leaned back, Magnus shot his eyebrows up and sent her an interrogative look.

“I missed you, Mags” she pouted.

“That’s your explanation for marking your territory like that?“ he replied.

“Everyone is looking at you, I have to make it clear that you belong to me” she explained, with a bright smile. Magnus let out a cold laugh and took a step back.

“I do not belong to anyone and especially not you” he countered. “If I want to fuck someone, I will, and you won’t stop me, darling.”

He saw her smile flatter a bit, before something caught his attention. More like someone actually. Someone tall, dark and handsome. Alec was making his way towards the bar, with a brunette hanging off his arm. He frowned, wondering who it could be. If there was one thing he knew about Alec, it was that the man was definitely not straight. Maybe she was a relative? A friend? Someone he had just met? Alec was most certainly the type to help someone in distress, that he had just met. But soon enough, the brunette said something to his ear before heading to the dance floor. There was his chance.

“We’ll talk later, Camille” he told her. She started protesting but Magnus could not care less about what she wanted to tell him. The only thing that mattered right now was Alexander. As he walked up to him, he took the time to drink in his outfit: a pair of tight and black skinny jeans, black boots and a dark blue button-up, with his sleeves rolled up on his arms. God, his arms. They were sinful. Oh, how Magnus wished he could have those arms wrapped around his body.

“Alexander” he started as he leaned on the bar. “I did not expect to see you here.”

Alec turned his head to him, clearly caught off guard.

“Magnus, hi. What-what are you doing here?” he laughed nervously.

“This is my club?” he tried, before laughing. “I’m bound to come at least a few days per week, you know?”

Alec nodded, blushing lightly.

“Your club, right. Totally got out of my head, sorry.”

“No harm done. And you, to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you here?”

“Oh, uh, my sister have wanted to come here for months and tonight I finally gave in.” he quickly explained.

 _So that brunette was his sister_ , Magnus thought to himself. Good to know.

“And are you enjoying yourself?”

Alec shrugged.

“I don’t really do clubs.”

“Too caught up in your job to have fun?” he teased him.

“Hey!” Alec exclaimed, offended. “I do have fun. Sometimes.”

“Prove it, then. Dance with me” he offered. Alec tilted his head to the side, smiling and wondering if Magnus really were serious or not. But after knowing him for a few years, he knew way too well how serious he was.

“I don’t dance. Actually, I’d rather much talk about that service your father asked you.” This time, Magnus groaned, not pleased with the turn this conversation was taking.

“Why do you have to mix pleasure and business?”

“Because you are my business right now, and I’m not letting this chance pass by” Alec explained, trying not to let Magnus destabilise him.

Magnus couldn’t help but feel touched by the way Alec was always so focused on work. He seriously wondered if the guy ever did anything else.

“Alright, now that my father is not there and that the atmosphere is way lighter here, convince me” Magnus encouraged him.

Alec sent him such a bright smile, Magnus would have been willing to give him anything to see him smile like that all the time.

“Right, so. Pandemonium has given you great publicity. As well as The Circle in Lower Manhattan and Idris in SoHo. You’ve expanded your brand, but imagine how even bigger it could become if you let your father’s company invest in them. You would get more resources, both human and material, your publicity budget would triple and you could even expend beyond New-York. But this is only possible if you get in touch with the right people. The type of people that you will meet at this party your father wants you to go to.”

Alec stood up right after his little speech and Magnus could see in his eyes how proud of himself he was. Despite the loud music, he managed to make himself clear and almost convince Magnus. The older one loved it when Alec got all nerdy and started talking like a professional. Granted, whenever they met, it was in a professional environment but seeing him, in his club, talking like that, it did wonders to Magnus.

“You look like you studied really hard” he teased the older one. Alec gave him an unimpressed look.

”Come on Magnus. You know it’s the best for you” he assured.

“Tell you what” he started. “Give me one dance and I promise I’ll actually consider it.”

“I can't dance” Alec deadpanned.

“Everybody can dance, darling” Magnus retorted. “All you have to do is let the music guide you” he had taken a few steps backwards and held his hand to Alec, as he talked. The invitation was clear and Magnus could see in his eyes that he was having an internal debate. Clearly, this invitation tortured him and Magnus felt bad to have put him in this position. As he was about to say something, Alec took his hand.

“One dance.”

“Of course darling” Magnus promised before leading him to the center of the dance floor.

Alec was clearly in an uncomfortable situation and Magnus chuckled lightly. He put his hands on his hips, got closer to him and looked at him straight in the eyes. Alec held up his breath and Magnus gave him a crooked smile. He leaned even closer and talked directly into his ear.

“Let go, Alexander” He heard Alec breathe out before he started moving his hips along Magnus’. The older man bit his bottom lip, to try and hide his smirk but it was too good. Seeing Alec, who was always so uptight, let loose and actually have fun. A Latino song started to play and Magnus knew the next several minutes were bound to be unforgettable.

He started moving his hips a bit faster, following the beat of the song and Alec tried to catch up his rhythm. He struggled, Magnus could see that, so he decided to help him a little bit more. He slid one of legs between Alec’s and the younger one froze, clearly not prepared for this intrusion. Magnus smiled at him, to reassure him and held him closer until there was no space left between their bodies. Magnus could feel every inch of Alec’s body against his and he had to hold on to every piece of self-control he had in himself to not moan. If Alec moved in the right direction, he would be rubbing his groin onto Magnus’ thigh.

Magnus held his hips tighter and started swaying again, and this time, Alec had no other choice then follow him. Magnus’ head landed directly in Alec’s neck so he could feel his hot breath and it tickled his skin. Alec would be lying if he said that he never dreamt of sharing such an intimate moment with Magnus. The guy was beautiful. Like, a whole new level of beautiful. He was witty, funny, successful and caring, when he allowed himself to. And, no matter how much Alec tried to deny it, he had a soft spot for Magnus. Maybe even a bit more than that, but it was one-sided. Magnus could never be interested in someone as dull and uninteresting as he was.

“You’re thinking too hard, Alexander” he said again against his ear. Of course he was. Magnus was holding him so close to his body, he could feel each of his little movements, each of his breath. How the hell was he supposed to let go when he had to hold himself back from moaning and rub himself against Magnus’ thigh?

They were sharing a moment. An intimate moment. And maybe, maybe, Alec would actually get his chance to show Magnus he was so much more than what he appeared to be and they could become something. A couple. Or just actual friends. Yeah. Alec would be good with that. Who was he kidding, of course not. He’d dreamed of being Magnus’ boyfriend ever since they met, but he never stood a chance, because Magnus deserved someone of his status. Someone worthy of him.

He froze when Magnus took a step back, putting some distance between the two of them, and he held his breath when Magnus stroke his cheek. He could see his eyes, they were fully dilated. Was it because of him? Did Alec have so much effect on him?

“Thank you for the dance, Alexander” he said loud enough to be heard above the music. Alec just nodded, not able to speak properly. He sent him one last smile and turned around to go back to his VIP area. When he asked for a dance, Magnus thought he could do it. That he could dance with him, be close to him and not feel anything, but boy was he wrong.

“I need to get laid tonight” he muttered to himself as he walked through the sea of people. Thankfully, Camille was still there, he rushed to her and kissed her, without any preambule, without warning, just desperate, raw need, but not directed to her.

“Let’s go to my place” he told her.

“Lead the way” she smiled. He took her by the hand and led her to the exit.

The one thing he didn’t see, though, was that Alec hadn’t kept his eyes off of him the entire time.

*******

Magnus woke up and stirred in his bed. He felt better. Well, sleeping with Camille always left him completely satisfied. He wished he had spent his night with someone else though. Unfortunately, he couldn’t always get what he wanted. Almost. Alexander was the only exception, but what a beautiful exception he was. He felt Camille wake up next to him, he breathed in deeply and tried not to cringe to hard when she put her hand on his chest. The next part was the one he hated the most. The morning after. Camille liked to stall, to stay in as much as she could and it was exhausting. Camille was exhausting. But, even if he hated to admit it, she knew him better than anyone else, in bed, so he had to keep her until he found someone better.

“Mags...” she started. “Last night was amazing. I mean every night is amazing but last night was... beyond words” she chuckled and hugged him tightly.

Of course he had been spectacular. He had spent each moment imagining it was Alexander in her stead. His beautiful, gorgeous, funny ... Magnus slightly shook his head. Alec was not his. Not yet, at least. Conquering Alec was going to be a challenge. He loved the idea of courting Alec, wooing slowly, get him to fall for him, a little bit more as they spent time together. Get to know the real Alec, not this facade he always had on his front of his father. It would take time but, they’d get there. Eventually.

He had stopped listening to Camille, preferring to imagine all the ways he could get Alec to fall for him but something she said got his attention.

“Maybe I should stick around, don’t you agree?”

His eyebrows shot up and he turned his head to turn.

“Care to repeat that, darling?” he asked.

“You and I have been doing this for a few years now, don’t you think we should finally take things to the next level? Like, be in an actual relationship, go on dates, live together, ...”

Magnus barked out a laugh and shook his head.

“Are you out of your mind? You’re not actually serious, right?” he asked. “You’re not expecting me to ask you out officially or something?”

Camille sat up, keeping the sheets against her breasts.

“Well, it’s only fair. You and I work well together, and we would make the most fashionable couple and no one could stop us” she explained proudly.

“Wow” Magnus laughed. “I knew you were crazy but you keep surprising me.”

“How dare you ...” she was cut off by the sound of Magnus’ ringtone. The ringtone he had chosen specially for Alec. He took the phone and stood up, before turning to Camille.

“Get dressed and leave” he instructed her. She just crossed he arms and showed no sign that she would move. Magnus simply rolled his eyes and picked up the phone.

“Alexander” he purred. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” He had tried to keep his voice steady but he couldn’t hide the small excitement in his voice. However, Alec did not seem bothered at all.

“Your father has requested your presence at his office” he said, in an ... unfazed tone. Surely the moment they had shared could not have left him untouched, so Magnus decided to tease him a little.

“Ah. Well, you’ll have to tell His Majesty that I ...”

“I don’t have time for you games” Alec cut him off harshly. “Your father wants you to come, so come. He’ll be expecting you at two, this afternoon. Do not be late.”

Magnus furrowed his brows. “Alexander, I ...” The line cut before he had time to say anything else. What the hell was happening? What could possibly have gone wrong between their dance last night to now? Had he ...

“Oh God, no” he groaned.

“Trouble in paradise?” Camille said. She knew about his crush. He didn’t know how but she did and every now and then, she liked to remind him that they’d never be together. And last night, after the first moment Magnus actually felt a connection between the two of them, he had run straight to Camille. And it was obvious Alec had seen him. Almost run to Camille like his life depended on it.

“Get out.”

“Again with that, Mags? Seriously?”

“Get out now, before I throw you out myself” he threatened her. And if there was one thing Camille knew, it was that Magnus never made empty threats. So she didn’t push any further. She stood up and started to get dressed.

“Alright, I’ll go. But remember, darling, your life is dull without me. It’s only a matter of time before you come back crawling to me” she warned him. “If you think this boy can satisfy you or even understand you like I do, you’re fooling yourself.”

“Leave.”

She chuckled lightly and picked up her shoes. She kissed his cheek and winked at him before finally leaving. Magnus hated himself right now but he had no time to sulk. His father was waiting for him, but so was Alexander. So he needed to make a great impression.

*******

Magnus straightened the sleeves of his royal purple shirt and buttoned his black jacket. He wore black pants and black dress shoes. He had opted for a sober appearance, as he did every time he met up with his father. His eyes were surrounded by a thin line of dark kohl, he wore his usual ear cuff, but other than that, his eyes, his neck and hands were empty. Except, of course, for the silver ring his mother had given him. He wore it on his left middle finger. Not many people knew what it meant to Magnus, how important it was to him or what it would do to him if he lost it. He fiddled with it a little bit, as the elevator was taking him to his father’s floor. He didn’t mind being summoned by his father, he’d been used to that for years. What he didn’t like was that he didn’t know what to expect from Alec. Every time he came to his father’s office, he knew Alec would have his back, one way or the other, that he would try to appease both sides and try to find a compromise for both of them. However, in light of the latest events, he didn’t know what to expect from him and that scared him.

The elevator stopped and Magnus exhaled deeply before putting up his usual unattainable mask and began to walk towards his father’s office. His secretary stood up when she saw him and nodded. He sent her a small smile and nodded four times at the door. His signal. He opened the door and felt his heart clench when he didn’t see Alexander standing next to his father, as usual. Asmodeus looked up from his paperwork and gestured at the seat in front of him.

“Son. You made it” Asmodeus noted. Magnus snickered and sat down, crossing his legs.

“It’s not like your assistant gave me much of a choice” he replied.

“Alec can be very persuasive indeed” his father agreed.

“Where is he, by the way? I’m surprised not to see him at his king’s side” he teased ironically.

“He had a family matter to handle. He should join us soon” Asmodeus explained. Magnus furrowed his brows, deeply shocked by the words he just heard. His father, the cold-hearted and emotionless man that had try to 'raise’ him, gave free time to his assistant for him to fix whatever family situation he had? How was that even possible?

“And you let him?” Magnus couldn’t help but ask.

“Yes” he simply said. But it couldn’t be that simple, could it? His father was not a simple man. He always did things, expecting some sort of thing in return. He wanted to add something but someone knocked at the door, before opening it.

“My apologies, Mr. Bane, it took me longer than I planned” Alec said as he quickly joined his boss’ side.

“No worries, Alec. Family can be quite unpredictable, can it?” That was definitely pointed. Magnus sent him one of his fake smile and sighed. He didn’t dare to look at Alec, he couldn’t dare to be confronted with disgust, hate … disappointment. He had faced those looks too many times in his life already, he couldn’t stand to receive them from Alec as well.

“So, why did you summon me, Father?”

“I wanted to know what was your decision. Today was the deadline I gave you.”

“True. But I don’t remember agreeing to it” he replied, with a sly smile.

“Boy, you don’t want to play with my nerves today” Asmodeus warned him. “You’re a grown man. I know you’ve thought of my proposition, and I am certain you’ve already taken a decision. So spare us and give us your answer.”

Magnus kept a straight face. He couldn’t allow himself to crackle in front of his father. Not during a situation like that when he needed to be strong, or he’d get hurt. Badly. So he decided to tease his father, to make him break first.

“You’re right, I have thought about it” he admitted. “And I’d totally go. Unfortunately, you see, I cannot leave my cat all alone.”

“Excuse me?” asked his father with a cold voice.

“My cat. Surely you remember Chairman. He’d be all alone if I left him to go to your party.”

“Can’t Ragnor and Catarina keep him?” Alec suggested. It always took Magnus off balance when Alec showed that he knew so much about his life. Like he had been his mission to know so much. And it startled him even more today as he thought Alec would try and bring him down.

“The Chairman hates them. Well, mostly Ragnor actually” Magnus replied simply. “You understand that I cannot leave my son with someone he doesn’t trust” he continued as he looked back at his father.

“Magnus” he sighed.

“I’ll keep the Chairman” Alec offered.

Once again, Alec got the attention of both the Banes with only a few words. This man never cease to amaze Magnus.

“Care to repeat that?”

Alec shrugged as he clasped his hands behind his back. “I have a cat of my own, I can handle two. Any other reason you’d say no?”

Magnus shook his head, speechless by Alec’s neutral tone.

“Then it’s settled” Alec concluded. “I will contact Raphael directly for all the details. Gentlemen.” He nodded to his boss and took quick steps to step out of the office. Magnus had kept his eyes on the desk in front of him, not quite sure how to react at the moment. Alec had offered him to babysit his cat, but he was supposed to hate him at the moment? Was he only doing it to allow him to satisfy his father, or because he actually wanted to take care of Magnus’ cat?

No. He wasn’t doing it for Magnus. Since the moment he step foot in the room he had either avoid Magnus’ gaze or had thrown him the coldest look he had. So, obviously, he was doing it only to please his boss and get into his good graces.

“Make me proud out there, son” said Asmodeus before focusing on his paperwork again. Magnus huffed out a nervous laugh, as his father was dismissing him. Just like that? Seriously? This kind of moments reminded him why their relationship was barely an actual relation. He stood up straight and walked out the office without another word. It was best for the both of them. He didn’t want his father to hate him more than he already did.


	2. Part II

“So, he’s coming to your house” Catarina said on the phone.

“Yes, Cat” he sighed, as he paced around his living room. “That is what I have been telling you for the last ten minutes.”

“And why don’t you leave Chairman at our apartment as usual?”

“That was my only excuse, Catarina. I didn’t think Alexander would offer to take care of him while I was away!” he exclaimed. Frankly, he still couldn’t understand why Alec had made that proposition. Sure, he wanted to please his boss but that might have been a bit far-fetched, right? Alec was supposed to hate Magnus at the moment. He made that pretty clear on the phone when they talked this morning. But then, Raphael had called him after his meeting with his father to tell him Alec would drop by to pick up Chairman. Because yes, him and Raphael were leaving the next morning.

So here he was, pacing around his apartment, his phone against his ear, as he talked to Catarina and with Chairman comfortably settled on the couch, and judging his owner.

“And now your crush is coming over to yours” she said laughing.

“Could you stop repeating the same thing” he groaned. “And Alexander is not my crush.”

“Oh, right. So how would you call it? A fantasy? A desperate hope? An unreachable future?”

“I think you’ve made yourself clear” Magnus growled. “Alexander is not a crush. I just have a soft spot for him.”

“Exactly. And you never have any soft spot. For anyone.”

“I do have them. For some people” he countered.

“Like who?” Catarina chuckled. Magnus looked around as if his surroundings were going to give him an answer and he smiled.

“Like Chairman. He always gets his way with me.”

“He’s like your son, Magnus, of course you have a soft spot for him. Plus, he’s a cat, not a person.”

“How dare you speak of my child like that?”

“Just admit it, Magnus. You have feelings for Alec.” Magnus froze in his steps.

“Don’t you dare ever repeat that, Catarina.”

His friend sighed on the other side of the line, and he could perfectly picture her shaking his head.

“Magnus, there’s nothing wrong with admitting your feelings for someone. It doesn’t make you weak” she said in a tender voice.

“I have to go. I need to pack up Chairman’s stuff.”

“Magnus ...”

“Give my best to Ragnor” he said before rapidly hanging up.

He threw the phone on the couch, not far from Chairman who sent him an unimpressed look.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Magnus growled. Chairman simply swung his tail, keeping his eyes on Magnus. “You know that I hate talking about my feelings, Cat does too. So why should I change to please her?” Chairman meowed and that made Magnus groaned harder.

What was he doing? Talking to his cat like it was going to fix his problems ... Catarina might have been right when she said he had feelings for Alec. He had friendly feelings for him. He liked him. He liked him in a platonic way. Well, that was not entirely true. Alec embodied Magnus’ favorite type of man and he would gladly climb him up like a tree but that was it. It was purely physical. It had nothing to do with the fact that Alexander was nice to him. That he always made sure his father and him never fought to hard. The way he was involved in making their relationship better. The way he always saw Magnus’ best side.

Magnus vividly shook his head. He had to stop. He had to stop finding more reasons to find Alec attractive. If they were going to be anything more, they’d be friends. That’s it. No other feelings, no other expectations. Just casual friends.

He crouched in front of Chairman and stroke his head, as the animal purred.

“Be good to him, ok Chairman?” he asked the cat. He heard soft knocks at the door and sighed. He stood up, straightened his clothes and shook his shoulders. He could do this. He was Magnus freaking Bane. He was going to let a simple guy make him weak. He could perfectly handle himself. He was confident, sexy and everybody wanted him. So there was no way a mere guy was going to have this much control over him. The one who should have control over the other should be Magnus. Not the other way around. He quickly fixed his hair, looking through the mirror next to the door then opened it, sending Alec his most confident smile.

“Hello, Alexander.”

Alec looked up from whatever he was writing on his phone and his eyebrows went up when he took a look at Magnus. As if ... he had sensed the radical change in him since last night. Hell, even a few seconds ago.

“Magnus, hi” he sighed before slipping his pocket in his back pocket. “Can I come in? Everything’s ready for your cat?”

“Please, do come in” he invited him, as he stepped to the side. Alec sent him a weak smile, before entering the apartment and walking straight to the living room, where Chairman had not moved an inch from where Magnus had left him. Magnus came in as well, and picked up the cat carrier from its place next to the couch. “Everything okay? You seem worried.”

Damn it. He was supposed to keep his cool, not show he cared.

“Well, you do give me a lot of reasons to worry, don’t you?” Alec said. “Other than that, everything’s fine.” He had closed the subject so rapidly, Magnus could believe him. And was he joking when he talked about him or did he actually mean it?

“I’ll be gone for some time, so you won’t have to worry about me” Magnus replied. He opened the door of the cat carrier and instructed Chairman to go in it. Surprisingly, the cat didn’t even hesitate and immediately obeyed. Magnus scratched his head with a smile. “Good boy” he congratulated him before closing the door.

“You might be gone for two days, but I still need to make sure everything goes smoothly” Alec retorted. Magnus turned to him.

“And how do you plan on doing that exactly ?” he asked, crossing his arms.

“I told Raphael to keep me posted. Is that everything?” he asked him, pointing the bag next to the cat carrier.

“Yes. His food, his toys ... Make sure to give him food when it’s time, otherwise he will get cranky. And you do not want to see a cranky Chairman” he teased.

“I won’t forget. Church used to make me pay every time I forgot to feed him, and I haven’t forgotten once ever since he destroyed a very expensive shirt my sister had given me” he told him.

“You named your cat Church?” Magnus couldn’t help but find it funny.

“You named yours Chairman Meow” Alec retaliated.

“I’ll have you know that’s a very clever name for a cat” Magnus said.

“Right” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. Magnus bit his bottom lip, trying to hold in his smile. To see Alec so free made him feel better. Maybe he didn’t hate him as he thought he did. But quickly, the atmosphere changed in the room and Magnus had to breathe in deeply to prepare himself to whatever Alec was going to say next.

“I’d better get going then. You have to get ready for your flight and I don’t want to disturb the plans you have for the night.”

Magnus shrugged.

“I don’t have any plans.”

“Not even with that brunette?” he insisted.

“Who? Camille?” Magnus laughed. Alec simply nodded, his eyes still on the ground. “God no. She’s just a ... sex-friend. And even that is too nice of a term. I guess fuck buddies would be more accurate.” This time, Alec frowned.

“Haven’t you been seeing her for a few years, now?”

“Yeah, so?” Alec barked out a cold laugh and shook his head.

“Unbelievable” he muttered. He bent to pick up Chairman and his stuff, as Magnus watched him, confused.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Alec, please. Why are you giving me the could shoulder all of a sudden?”

“I’m sorry, are we friends?” That felt like a cold shower to Magnus. “You’re my boss’ son, someone I meet regularly for business, nothing else. You don’t need someone like me in your life so stop toying with me please.” he begged him, and where the hell was that all coming from? He was breathing faster after that and Magnus seriously got worried about him. What was he not understanding in this situation? Clearly, Alec didn’t hate him, he seemed confused and... hurt. Magnus went to grab his arm but Alec took a step back.

“I’ll take care of Chairman. Enjoy Chicago.” He didn’t wait for an answer and left the apartment as fast as he could. Magnus didn’t move for a few minutes, too deep in his thoughts. Had he been reading this situation the wrong way? Hadn’t he understood Alec? Did Alec also have... feelings for him? He abruptly shook his head. No. No way. The only connection he had with him was physical. He just needed to evacuate the sexual need he had in him. With Alec, and he would feel better.

Anyway, that was not his priority for the moment. Right now, he needed to get ready for this business party and be fabulous as he always is and then, he could focus on Alec and the situation they were both in.

*******

“Alright, here are the three people you need to impress tonight” Raphael started, as they were sitting in the car, on their way to the party. After Alec had left, Magnus had started gathering everything he needed to attend the party. Which included the gorgeous Versace suit he was wearing. The pants, shirt and jacket were completely black but the jacket had a golden satin pattern embroidered from the front to the back. He wore black dress shoes with it, a golden ear cuff, a single gold necklace, a gold ring on his right hand and his usual silver one on his left hand. He had decided to go chic but classic tonight, as he was representing the Bane name, not just himself. Plus, he knew how close-minded the people at these parties could be, so he had to tone it down a bit and just appear as the business man that he was.

“Hodge Starkweather. He owns one of the biggest advertising agency in the country, surely, you’ve heard of him. There’s a good chance he’ll be with Valentine Morgenstern, the second one you need to please. He’ll be tougher to convince than Starkweather, but if you rub him the right way, he’ll support you.”

“Who’s the last one?” Magnus asked, his eyes still looking through the window.

“The toughest one to charm, Robert Lightwood.” That managed to get Magnus’ attention and make Raphael shake his head.

 _“Dios,_ you’re so predictable” he sighed.

“What is Alexander’s father doing there?”

“Well, if you actually listened to me from time to time, you’d know the Lightwoods own half the buildings in New-York and quite a lot in the rest of the country.”

“Wait, isn’t Robert my father’s sworn enemy?”

“Why do you think he insisted on you coming tonight in his stead?” Raphael asked. Magnus blinked a few times before it clicked. Asmodeus was trying to gather powerful allies but he knew none of them would even bother to listen to him, but they would take to time to listen to his son. He had send him to do his dirty job. Why wasn’t he surprised? He knew his father had no respect what so ever for him but, he kept being surprised each time he was confronted to it. However, what he was not used to was Alec supporting his father’s despicable actions, so he had to ask.

“Did Alec know about this?”

Raphael sent him a point look.

“What do you think?”

So they both played him. Perfect. Magnus really hated himself right now for being so naive. That was exactly the reason why the circle of people he trusted was so small, so he wouldn’t get disappointed and feel betrayed like that. He had allowed himself to extend it onto Alec, and that clearly was a huge mistake.

“Magnus, I know how you must be feeling right now...”

“I don’t think you can even begin to realise how much I hate him right now” Magnus cut him off in a harsh tone.

 _“Amigo,_ I know you better than anyone. You like this kid, so you’re hurt that he lied to you. But remember that he works for your father, so he has to hide his intentions sometimes.” Raphael told him. Magnus shook his head while he fidgeted his silver ring, like every time he felt nervous.

“Alec doesn’t owe me anything. Like he said, he’s my father’s assistant, we’re bound to meet and work together from time to time but that’s it.”

“Magnus...”

“Tell me everything I need to know about these three charming men” he cut him off.

*******

Magnus smiled at the waitress who offered him a glass of champagne and sipped it as Raphael reminding him what he was expected to do tonight. He was listening to him, really, but he couldn’t control his mind as it wandered off ... to Alec. This man certainly knew how to make one go crazy. When Magnus met him, he instantly fell for his soft face, his joyful eyes and just the way he seemed to embrace life fully. He knew that working with his father might not be easy on a daily basis, but Alec always managed to keep smiling and somehow please his father. Magnus had seen numerous assistants leave after only a few days but Alec, he’d been here for four years now. So, obviously, no matter how much Magnus hated the idea, a piece of Alec’s soul must have darkened with time.

But then again, Magnus didn’t actually know anything about Alec, so was he to judge him?

So he turned to Raphael, deciding to tease his friend a bit before he had to become the cold business man he needed to be.

 _“Amigo,_ you should relax a bit, you look tense” he said. Raphael glared at him and shook his head.

“ _Imbécil_ ” he muttered, knowing perfectly Magnus was just teasing him to feel more at ease.

“ _Tu me amas y lo sabes*_ ” Magnus countered.

Raphael sent him one if his famous hypocrite smiles, that was his way of showing him a middle finger. Magnus chuckled lightly and turned around to look at the different business men present tonight.

“So, tell me, where are my preys for the night?” he asked. Raphael pointed a direction with his chin.

“Over there.” Magnus followed his gaze and his eyes landed on a blond man, and two bold ones. He immediately recognised one of them as being Alec’s father, because of his striking eyes. The blond one seemed more friendly than the two others so he had to be Starkweather, as Raphael told him he was going to be the easiest to convince. That meant the last one was Morgenstern. And even if Robert was going to be difficult because of his feud with Asmodeus, Valentine sure seemed like a man who was quite full of himself.

“I can’t believe I agreed to this” Magnus muttered before putting his glass a the table behind him. Raphael snickered.

“Like you could have said no to your father.”

“Technically, I did say no to him.”

“Your father always gets his way, Magnus. You should be used to it by now” Raphael said, shaking his head. Magnus tilted his to the side, silently agreeing before standing up straight and adjusted his jacket.

“Wish me luck.” Magnus said before walking towards the three men.

“ _No hagas nada estúpido_ ” Raphael warned him. Magnus smirked as he strolled through the room and smiled when he got to his preys.

“Gentlemen” he began, gaining their attention.

Hodge frowned a bit, turning to him.

“And you are ?”

“Magnus Bane” Robert said in his stead. Magnus sent him a polite smile.

“Pleasure to met you, Mr. Lightwood” he assured. “Mr. Starweather, Mr. Morgenstern” he greeted the other two.

“Mr. Bane” Valentine greeted him back, with a nod.

“Please, I’m not my father. Call me Magnus” he smiled. Valentine sent him a small smile, that was probably meant to be nice but his eyes remained cold.

“Speaking of your father” started Robert. “Where is Asmodeus?” Magnus turned to him and he could see Robert genuinely wanted to know.

“I represent him tonight” Magnus started. “You know how important family is. I have to make sure I’m involved in the business from time to time. So when my father asked me to come tonight, I couldn’t possibly say no.”

“That’s very generous of you” Hodge noted.

“Well, family always comes first, doesn’t it?” Magnus replied as he sent a look at Robert. He might not know him or Alec personally, but one thing was for sure, there was no way a son would betray his father by working for his enemy if there was not a story behind it.

“Funny of you to say, that” Valentine intervened. “From what I heard, you’re more focused on taking care of your clubs than on helping your father.”

Magnus sent him an amused smile.

“In deed, but even I know when to stop acting like a stubborn brat. As much as my father and I don’t always see eye to eye, I respect him as a business man. I know he can come off a bit ... obtuse. But trust me, if you take the time to settle a deal with him, your profits will increase in no time” he explained. “Especially for you, Mr Lightwood. Could you imagine how up your actions could go if you two decided to partner up?” Robert was sending him a flat look and his resemblance with Alec was even more striking, it was unsettling.

“If your father really wanted to do business with us, he would have come himself” Robert countered.

“I understand where you’re coming from” Magnus agreed. “Can you honestly tell me you would have even listen to him if he had came himself? We both know you don’t trust him, and I don’t blame you. But if you look at it from a business prospective, and not a personal one, you’ll see that a partnership will only have upsides for you.”

“And why we should we trust anything you say?” asked Hodge. “He’s your father, obviously, you are not going to discredit him.”

“That’s exactly why you should trust me. He is my father, I know him better than anyone” Magnus shrugged. “So if even I dare to say having him involved in my business has bring me nothing but benefits, you can believe me.”

The three men looked at him and seemed to be deep in their thoughts for a few moments, before Hodge cleared his throat.

“Will you be involved in our business? Or are you just here to try and convince us?” he asked.

“I’ll be more involved in my father’s business from now on, so we will see each other” Magnus explained.

Valentine barked out a laugh. “Who would have thought that the infamous Magnus Bane would settle down and listen to his father?”

“As I said, even I know when to settle” he repeated. Valentine nodded then looked at Hodge and they seemed to be having a silent debate. Magnus hold his want to smile, as he felt proud of himself. He had managed to make them hesitate, and that was all he needed for the moment.

“We’ll arrange a meeting with your father” Robert announced. Well, that was surprising. Out of the three, Magnus thought Robert would be the one he needed to take all night to convince. Yet, here he was, being the first one to agree.

“Will we see you there?” Hodge asked. Magnus nodded.

“I’ll make sure to be there.”

“Should we toast to that then?” Valentine offered.

“Now we’re talking” Magnus smiled broadly.

*******

“Mr. Bane” his father’s secretary greeted him when he walked up to her. “Your father and Alec are expecting you in his office” she told him. He nodded and knocked on the door before entering. He had just the time to see Alec stand up from his seat, on the other side of the desk and go stand next to Asmodeus. He quickly fixed his hair and put his hands behind his back as Magnus closed the door and went to sit in front of his father. Clearly, Alec didn’t look well, and that worried Magnus as much as it annoyed to him to realise he clearly didn’t know anything about the guy.

“Magnus. I’m happy you came” Asmodeus smiled. Magnus frowned, not used to see his father so ... nice to him. That was quite an odd feeling, but he liked it. Deep down, it felt nice to see his father like this.

“Well, we had to talk about the business party, right?” Magnus answered. Two days had passed since then and as much as Magnus was confident, he needed to make sure his father agreed.

“Right. We immediately heard from Morgenstern, Starkweather and Lightwood, all of them saying you had convinced them that a deal with us would be the smart thing to do. We just need to arrange a meeting later this week. We hope you’ll be able to join.”

“Just contact Raphael, he’ll be able to tell you.”

“Alec will take care of it” Asmodeus nodded. Magnus shot a look at Alec, who still looked at the ground. “You did an incredible job, son” Asmodeus continued. “You make me proud.” This time, Magnus couldn’t control the sparkle that appeared in his eyes. His father just said he was proud of him. Never, in all twenty-eight years of Magnus’ life, had his father said he was proud of him. Most of the time, he reminded his son that he disappointed him, that he felt ashamed to have a son who spends his time partying, drinking and sleeping with anyone he met, and last, Asmodeus always told his son that it’s a good thing his mother is not there anymore to see him go down this path.

He didn’t use the last one as much as the other, but it was the most efficient, because everything Magnus wanted in life was to make his mother proud. And even if his father is very different from her, a small part of him still thinks that if his father was proud, his mom would be too, so to hear these words come from his father meant ... everything to him.

“I’m just glad everything went as planned” he answered.

“Don’t be so modest, son! You’ve concluded a great deal for the company! You should celebrate it!” Asmodeus told him and that got Magnus to think.

“You’re right. I did an amazing job for the company I don’t even work for so I guess I deserve a little something, right?”

“Of course, son. Name it, I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“Alec. I want a date with Alec.” Magnus said as he turned to look at the young man. Asmodeus’ brows shot up as an amused smile started to grow on his face. Alec, however, did not seem to like the way this conversation was headed. He was looking at Magnus as if he had a third eye or something, but judging by the way his body had tensed up, it was only a matter of time before he exploded. And as if Asmodeus had sense it, he stood up.

“Alright, boys. I have a dinner with my wife so I’ll leave you to it” he explained while gathering his coat. “Alec, don’t forget to send me these files we were talking about.”

“Yes, sir.” Even his voice was tight. Magnus stood up, and tried to hold his smile before turning to his father, who came up to him.

“Try not to break him.”

Asmodeus sent a last look to Alec before leaving the men alone. Magnus fidgeted with his silver ring and took a step closer to Alec. He could see how tense Alec was. He had been ever since he step foot into the office, so he sincerely hoped their talk was going to make him feel a bit better.

“So. About that date, I ...”

“Are you out of your mind?” Alec cut him off, coldly. “What exactly do you take me for? How can you disrespect me this way in front of my boss?!” he exclaimed as he took a step closer to the man. “Because yes, Magnus, he’s my boss, I need to have a certain figure when I’m with him. I can’t allow myself to be as frivolous as you are. So please, even if you consider me a joke, at least show me some respect in front of your father.” he begged him.

“Alexander, I...”

“You what Magnus? What?” he interrupted him. “Maybe I wasn’t clear enough before? Maybe you need a reminder? You and I are not friends. I don’t know why you would ask me that in front of your father. To make fun of me, maybe to show him that I’m just another body that you can own whenever you want. But I am not, Magnus. I am not one of those people you meet at your clubs, that say yes to whatever you ask them and just spread their legs open for you” he spat. “The only thing, I ask from you is respect. Please. If you have any ounce of respect for me, stop toying with me.”

“Alexander, just let me...”

“I don’t have time for this” he cut him off again. “In case you forget about it, I have a life outside of my job. I have things I need to take care of, so I have to go. Just so you know, Raphael came to pick up Chairman this afternoon, you know, while you probably were waking up from your hangover. He should be at your place by now. Have a nice evening” Alec didn’t wait for an answer and left immediately. Magnus stood there, his mouth slightly open as he had been rendered speechless and blinking, as if he was trying to make sure that scene had just happened.

He had seen Alec mad before, but that was a whole new level. Alec was furious. The look in his eyes, it was almost like he hated Magnus just now. But that wasn’t possible. Alec could never hate him, it was not like Magnus had... completely disrespected him in front on his boss and did not care about his feelings whatsoever. God, he was such an idiot.

He picked out his phone from his pocket and sent a rapid text to Catarina.

‘ **My place. In 30 minutes. I’m in desperate need of alcohol.** ’

He didn’t even have time to take a step that he already had an answer.

‘ **We’re already there, Raphael invited us to celebrate your good deed for your father’s company. I’m proud of you.** ’

 **‘Wait until I give you an update, you won’t feel so proud anymore.** ’

Magnus sure knew he was not proud at all with himself.

——————————

* _Tu me amas y lo sabes_ : You love me and you know it.

* _No hagas nada estupido_ : Don't do anything stupid.


	3. Part III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the last part, guys! If you've reached it, thank you for reading, it truly means the world to me. I won't take more of your time, enjoy the last bit :)

“Hey there Chairman” Magnus cooed as he stepped into his apartment. He crouched to pick up the cat and brought him closer to his chest. He scratched his head, then started kissing his nose before Chairman licked his, making him chuckle. “I missed you too buddy. You happy to be home?” he asked as he stepped forward into the apartment.

“Are you happy to be home?” Magnus looked up and saw a smiling Catarina standing next to his couch. Raphael was sitting in the armchair, facing Magnus, with a worried look and Ragnor was sitting in the couch, behind Cat.

“Well, I’m happy to see my cat again. I can’t really say the same about you” he winced. Catarina hit him playfully on the arm, before falling next to Ragnor while Magnus sat in the other armchair, Chairman on his lap.

“So, how was your meeting with dear old daddy?” teased Ragnor. Magnus sent him an unamused glare before sighing.

“As well as expected. He’s proud that I managed to convince the people he needed me to convince. I got him a great deal and he hopes I’ll be more involved in the business from now on” he told them.

“Will you?” asked Catarina. Magnus looked at her and actually took the time to think about it. Did he want to be more involved in his father’s business? A part of him wanted to. It was common knowledge that he and his father did not share the best relationship, so working together might definitely bring them closer. It would help him learn business tricks from his father, they would spend more time together and he could finally have the hope of having the father-son relationship he’d always dreamt of. However, the other part of him loathed the idea. If he got closer to his dad, that would only give Asmodeus more control over him. He would start thinking Magnus was his little puppet that he could order around and he would have no other choice than just obey him. Asmodeus would also think he has total control over Magnus’ life and business, and Magnus had not spent his entire life building something for himself to just have it ripped away by his father.

He sighed then shrugged.

“I guess I’ll have to wait and see how the meeting goes” he finally answered. He then turned to Raphael. “By the way, do have info yet?”

“No.”

Magnus frowned. “Do you know when you’ll get some?”

“No.”

This time, Magnus scoffed. “Alright, what has gotten into you?”

“You tell me. What did you do to Alec?”

“Excuse me?”

“When I called to ask about the meeting, he was speaking fast and swearing in Spanish. I’ve only heard him swear once, from all the time I’ve known him and for him to let his Spanish roots come out, must mean that you have pissed off great deal. So what did you do?”

Magnus gulped and as if Chairman had sensed the tension grew in him, he jumped off his lap. Magnus already knew he had messed up with Alec but to have Raphael —quiet, reserved and calm Raphael— putting him on the spot like that, only meant the situation was worse than he had imagined it to be. He closed his eyes, trying to rearrange his thoughts, and sighed.

“I asked him out on a date, in front of my father” he muttered.

“What?!” Catarina exclaimed.

“You did what now?” Raphael exclaimed at the same time as her.

Only Ragnor barked out a laugh that got his three confused looks.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked. “He’s the one who made a mistake, not me.”

“And you think this is funny?” Magnus said, his teeth clenched. Ragnor sighed and leaned forward.

“What I find funny is to see you do stupid things like that for love” he explained.

“I am not in love with Alexander” Magnus countered.

“If you don’t love him, then why did you embarrass him and yourself in front of your father?” Ragnor insisted.

“Because I wanted to put him on the spot. I think he’s adorable when he’s all flushed and he stutters. But he clearly did not like it since he was pretty pissed off and asked me to show him the respect I’ve being denied him for so long.”

Catarina laughed. “That poor child, do you hate him that much?”

“I do not hate him either. I just want to know him better” he admitted. “Unfortunately, this man is always so… rigid.”

“Aw, you don’t like having someone immune to your charms, Bane?” Ragnor mocked him.

Magnus glared at him and it took everything in his power not to send him a pillow right now.

“No one is immune to my charms. Alexander is just harder to convince. All I need is to find a way to seduce him” he shrugged.

“How about you show him some of the respect he’s been asking for?” Raphael suggested. The three friends turned their heads toward the Latino man, but his gaze was fixed on Magnus. He knew his friend better than he wished to sometimes and that the reason why he was so mad at him right now. Alec was his chance at happiness, he knew it. But Magnus being himself was screwing the situation for himself. So, it was his job as Magnus’ friend to put him on the right track, even if he had to be cold towards him. The good thing of having such a long-time friend was that they didn’t need to say anything else to understand each other.

“I will. But in the mean time, how about some drinks?” he offered. He knew he had to have a serious talk with Alec but right now, he needed to forget about this crappy day and the best way to do so was his cocktails. After all, what a better way to end a Friday night?

*******

Magnus walked out of the elevator and heavily exhaled. What was that feeling creeping inside his gut? Was that stress? How? Why was he stressed? He was Magnus Bane. He was not growing nervous because he was about to talk to… possibly the man of his life? What was he even thinking? Alec was not the man of his life. Was he? All in all, Magnus didn’t know anything about him, except for the fact that he was drop-dead gorgeous. Hard-working. Invested in making people’s lives easier. An altruist. God, did the guy even had one flaw?

How was Magnus supposed to win him over when they were the complete opposite of each others? Was this even going to work? Would Alec even listen to him? Magnus shook his head and held tighter onto the cat carrier. Alec would listen to him, because that was the type of person he was. Now, all Magnus needed to do was apologise, show him how sincere he was and prove himself to Alec. It couldn’t be that difficult, right?

He walked up to Alec’s door and knocked on it three times. This was it. It was now or never. Alec could either open the door and let him come in, or open it before slamming it to his face or just… not open at all. And truthfully, Magnus did not know which option he preferred. But he didn’t have time to go through all three of them because the door opened and Alec was standing in front of him.

He wore a black sweater, black pants and black sockets. Seriously, did he ever wear bright colours or were those banned from his closet? The surprised look on his face was the best part though. His brows were up, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly opened. He licked his lips —that small movement had much more impact on Magnus that he would admit— and passed a hand through his hair.

“Magnus. What are you doing here?” he asked. Right. What was Magnus doing here? His mind had gone completely blank. His friends had convinced him to come and see Alec but did he actually have a good excuse to barge in on a Saturday morning? Chairman meowed from his carrier and that brought Magnus back to his senses.

“Yes, hi. Sorry to appear on your doorstep like that but, Chairman here has been more grumpy than usual since he came back from your place. So I thought bringing him here would make him happy” he explained with a smile. And that not entirely a lie. Chairman had been grumpy but nothing more than usual.

“How did you get my address?” Alec wondered and that made Magnus chuckled.

“Come on now Alexander, you offend me. Can we please come in?”

“Right, sorry, please” he said as he took a step to the side. “Sorry about the mess though, I wasn’t expecting anyone.” Magnus entered the apartment and what he saw was exactly what he had imagined from Alec. The walls were all grey, with no apparent personal belongings, except for the, what Magnus supposed to be, family frame on the wall, at the other side of the living room. There was a large couch facing a tv, an armchair to its left, and a coffee table between the couch and the tv. And currently, pizza boxes and cans were covering it.

“Had a party?” Magnus asked. Alec started to pick up the boxes and Magnus found it cute how flushed he was getting at having him seeing him so… not-composed.

“I just spent the night with my siblings. Took me hours to get them to leave, but they finally listened to me when our younger brother started to fall asleep on his video game controller” Alec chuckled before leaving the room to what seemed to be the kitchen. The room looked cleaner without all the trash and Magnus wanted to take a better look at it but Alec came back.

“I didn’t know you had more than one siblings” Magnus continued.

“It’s not like you ever asked” Alec simply shrugged. A small white cat came into the room, Chairman meowed again and that made Alec smiled.

“These two really hit off” It made Magnus smile to see Alec a little happy so he figured, that maybe, this was his chance.

“So, why don’t we talk about us for once? While Chairman and Church get their fun?” Alec looked at him for a few seconds before sighing and agreeing. He gestured for Magnus to let Chairman out and then sat on the couch. The grey cat nearly jumped out of the carrier, then rubbed himself against Alec’s leg and joined Church. Magnus’ smile grew wider as he saw how much his cat liked Alexander as well and sat at the other end of the couch.

“Ready to get to know more about each other?” Magnus asked.

Alec sent him an unimpressed look.

“You mean you get to know more about me, because I already know everything there is to know about you.” It almost sounded like Alec was challenging Magnus and his was not going to let that pass.

“Do you now?” Magnus asked.

Alec scoffed and bit his bottom lip, as if he could believe how serious Magnus looked right now.

“I work for your father, it is part of my job to know you.”

“True” admitted Magnus. “But you can’t know me that well.”

Alec studied his face for a few seconds before opening his mouth.

“You love trash tv” Alec started. “And I mean, you truly love it. You could spend hours watching any show and you wouldn’t even be ashamed of it. You also have this huge crush on Charlie Puth.” That got Magnus’s eyes to open more widely. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure you have a thing for the scar on his eyebrow. I mean, you always use him for your Man-Crush Monday, so obviously, you must have a crush on him, right? And, you wouldn’t go to all of his shows in the city if you didn’t like him.” Magnus nodded, as he blushed a little. “I know you could never say no to Catarina, Ragnor nor Raphael. You consider each of them as a member of your family. You would do anything for them, because that’s who you are. This one is common knowledge but you’re a great business man and you know how to throw memorable parties or any other events. That’s mostly why you decided to launch Pandemonium, because you knew you could make it and look at you now! Everybody loves your clubs, everybody knows you and they all want to work with or for you, so I’d say you did a pretty good job” he congratulated him. “Speaking of parties, you can hold your liquor like no one, it’s kind of impressive but dangerous if you push too hard. Oh, and you always order take-out. I’ll admit, I got that from Raphael, but still, it’s something that I know about you. You cannot cook at all, like, you’re absolutely terrible at it. Almost gave your friends a food infection once.”

Magnus couldn’t help but laugh. He remembered that time. He had tried to please his friends, by preparing something for them, instead of ordering like he always does. But he clearly shouldn’t have because they all ended up sick. After that, he swore never to cook again. Ever.

“And now, on to the less fun stuff” Alec continued. Magnus frowned and cocked his head to the side, not really sure where this conversation was going. “You’ve always had relationship issues. Don’t get me wrong, you have a huge heart and love people wholeheartedly, but it takes you a long time before you can trust someone. God knows how long it took for you to trust me, but it’s only fair because I work for your father. That’s also the reason you cannot have a stable relationship, because you don’t think you deserve to be loved. And that is because you feel like your own father doesn’t love you. The only thing you want from him is his blessing, yet, despite all of your efforts, he still hasn’t given it to you. And lastly, you blame yourself for your mother’s death. It took me some time to figure that one out but, I could see it in your eyes, the guilt, every time your mom was mentioned. You blame yourself, wish it had been you instead of her, wish to have eased her pain and wish you could have seen it before it was too late. So, you hold on to her ring, as it is the most important thing for you and hope you make her proud.”

Tears had started streaming down Magnus’ face as Alec talked. He never liked to expose his feelings, his doubts and most especially his fears. So to have Alec spelling them out so easily made him weak and wondered how the hell did this man know so much about him? It’s not they had talked much in all of those years they knew each other. They mostly talked about work-related things, and his father was always in the same room as them, so how? How did he know Magnus’ greatest fear? His greatest pain? His greatest regret? How was it even possible? His friends had figured he blames himself for his mother’s suicide, but that was because they had so many talks about it and Magnus may have admitted it a few times. However, he never shared a heart-to-heart talk with Alec, so how did he know? It was almost as if Alec had fet that same pain. Otherwise, there was no way he could understand it so well.

Magnus wiped his tears and slightly shook his head.

“How do you know so much about me?”

Alec simply shrugged and bit his bottom lip.

“I guess I’ve just been… watching you” he said.

“You’ve been watching me?” Magnus chuckled lightly.

“Okay, that sounded wrong. I… Look, I’m sorry if I’ve overstepped. I can go grab Chairman, if you want to leave, I…”

“Nonsense” Magnus cut him off. “I said I wanted to know you better, Alexander. I meant it.” Alec pressed his lips together, trying to hide his smile. He never dared to imagine having Magnus sitting with him, let alone in his apartment, and just talk with him. He most certainly never imagined Magnus would want to get to him better. It’s not like he had much to offer him. Deep down, Alec knew this was not going to last so he was going to enjoy it, as long as he could.

“Actually, I didn’t come here because of Chairman. I came to apologise” Magnus started again.

“Apologise? For what?” Alec asked, visibly confused.

“For disrespecting you the way I did in front of my father” he sighed. “It was out of line. I really wanted to ask you out, but I should have done it somewhere else, or at least in another way. You did not deserve to feel the way you did because of me. You’re a great person Alexander, I mean it. Of course, I clearly don’t know anything about you in comparison but I’d really like to get to know the real you, if you’ll have me.”

Alec exhaled deeply before he licked his lips and ran a hand through his hair. What was he supposed to say? It was clear that he and Magnus were going a different direction now, a good direction. The one he had been waiting for since he met him, but, wasn’t it risky to just dive in when he knew exactly how Magnus could be? What proof did he have that Magnus would be different with him?

“I really want to say yes Magnus, but, i don’t want you to treat me like one of those people you only care about for sex” he admitted.

Magnus nodded. “You have every right to feel the way you do, but please believe me when I say that I have too much respect for you to ever treat you like that. You deserve so much love and care, I would never treat you like that. Not you. Never.”

And Alec wanted to believe. He did actually. Deep down, a part of him knew when Magnus was sincere, and the way he was looking at him right now didn’t lie. He wanted to try. He wanted Alec to give him a chance and… a possible access to true happiness? Besides, Alec had been waiting for years for Magnus to realise he was right here, he was not going to let this chance pass by.

“Do you want to stay and have lunch?” he finally dared to ask, and the smile Magnus sent him warmed his heart. God, that man truly was beautiful.

“My, my, Alexander. Getting bold aren’t we ?” he chuckled. “Yes, I would love that.”

“Perfect! Do you have any preferences?” Alec asked as he took out his phone from his pocket.

“Oh? You don’t know what my favorite type of food is?” Magnus teased him. Alec sent him a cocky smile as he shook his head.

“Well, I do. I just wanted you to feel like you had a choice” he answered. Magnus laid back against the couch and crossed his legs and Alec definitely should not have followed his every movement.

“Then tell me, Alexander. What was I going to ask?”

Alec looked at the ceiling to think for a second before he looked back at Magnus.

“Since you’re a guest here, you wouldn’t want to impose on me so you would have gone for a classic like Chinese food, or sushi, or even a pizza” Alec stated. “But we both know you never say no to Indonesian food, because that’s your favorite” he concluded.

Magnus was looking at him like he had hung the stars in the sky and Alec couldn’t control the blush that slowly grew on his face. He needed to learn how to keep himself together around Magnus or this situation would quickly become uncomfortable.

“If I hadn’t known you for four years, I would slightly be worried about how much you know about me” Magnus admitted.

“As I said, I’ve been watching you and I pay attention to details” Alec explained. “And Raphael may have complained about you a few times and I just remember everything he tells me about you.”

“You’re so adorable” Magnus let out. “How can a man like yourself be such a softie?”

“Hey! Don’t make fun of me” Alec whined.

“I’m not, darling. It’s just nice to see you so… free.”

“Well, to be fair, every time we saw each other, your father was in the room, so I couldn’t really let go.”

“Ah, yes, my dear old father. Could we not talk about him for the rest of the day?”

Alec nodded, agreeing to his idea, but he still looked like he had something to take off his chest.

“What’s troubling you, Alexander?”

“I wanted to apologise, for the way I snapped at you yesterday” he admitted. “Yes, you did put me in a tight spot but that was no excuse to lash out at you like that. I was dealing with a difficult situation and what you did just made the situation worse, so I took it out on you. I’m sorry for that” he concluded.

Magnus sent him a tender smile and shook his head.

“Apologies accepted. I know better than anyone that emotions are difficult to control so I don’t blame you. Also, I needed you to snap at me, it helped me put my ideas back into place.”

“Good” said Alec. “I’m gonna order the food.”

Magnus nodded and Alec smiled before standing up to call for the food. He walked to the kitchen and Magnus took this opportunity to let out a happy sigh. He’s dreamed of this day so many times but nothing compared to what he was feeling right now. Alexander was so gentle, caring, nice, soft and sincere. Magnus couldn’t remember the last time someone sincere wanted to get involved with him. Camille might have appeared as if she were, however Magnus knew how fake she was and what were her true intentions. Alexander, on the other hand, he wasn’t expecting anything from him. It seemed he just wanted… him. Was Magnus capable of giving him that?

“Alright, they should be here in half an hour” Alec said as he entered the room again. He sat next to Magnus and frown when he saw Magnus’ confused face. “Are you okay?”

“Why do you care so much about me?”

“Excuse me?” Alec scoffed.

“Why did you pay so much attention to everything I do? I don’t get it” Magnus continued.

“You do realise I’ve had a crush on you for years, now?” Alec asked.

Magnus’ mouth fell open.

“You’ve had a crush on me?”

This time, it was Alec’s turn to be surprised.

“Oh my god, are you that oblivious?”

“I’m sorry!” Magnus exclaimed. “It didn’t occur to me that a sweet and beautiful man like you would ever want me in his life” he sighed. “Must be the relation issue thing.”

Alec shook his head but didn’t say anything. He understood where Magnus was coming from, so he couldn’t blame him but it still annoyed him that he didn’t realise how amazing he was.

“Then I guess it’s a good thing that I’m willing to show you that you’re worthy of a relationship, because you’re a beautiful person Magnus, inside out” Alec smiled.

“Relationship?” Magnus repeated, amused. “Alexander, we didn’t even had a first date yet, this is not how it works, you know?”

“Do I need to remind you that we’re alone in my apartment, mind the cats and we’re about to have lunch together. That must count as a first date right?” Alec teased him.

Magnus didn’t know where this cheeky Alec had been hiding all this time, but he was really enjoying this side of him now.

“Yes. It most definitely can.”

“Alright, prepare to be wooed then” Alec warned him.

“I’m already wooed” Magnus admitted.

Alec’s smile dropped a bit, feeling flushed by Magnus’ confession. He could feel the atmosphere slowly change around them and this tension was growing. Until now, the air had been light and rather cheerful. They were having fun and teasing each other, after Alec had exposed Magnus’ fears at least. But now, something thicker, heavier was growing and Alec struggled to identify it. Magnus, however, clearly understood what was going on.

“Alexander, can I kiss you?” Magnus dared to ask.

If Alec wasn’t blushing before, he had no doubt he was now. He had imagined kissing Magnus so many times before —that sounded pathetic now that he thought of it—, did he actually have the courage to do it? It would make things more official, was he ready for that? Hell, was Magnus ready for that?

“You want to kiss me? But you said it’s not how it works, we haven’t even started our first date” he quickly stated.

Magnus sent him a small smile.

“You’re right, my apologies. That is completely inappropriate. You have every right to…”

Oh, screw it, Alec thought. He leaned towards Magnus, took his head between his hands and pressed his lips against his. No matter how many times either of them had pictured that exact moment before, everything paled in comparison. Alec’s lips were soft, shy and delicate, not strong, hungry or hard like Magnus had imagined. Magnus’ lips were full, fierce but also gentle, and it was way better than what Alec had expected. He dared to stroke his jawline, his beautiful and strong jawline, while Magnus’ hands were in his hair doing God knows what. Honestly, all Alec cared about at the moment was how close he felt to Magnus. He didn’t want to go any further than this for the time being, but he absolutely wanted this to last. They were in their own world right now, theirs. They were sharing this feeling, this connection. And surprisingly enough, Magnus seemed to think the same thing since he didn’t push for more. He simply enjoyed messing with Alec’s hair because God knows for how long he’d wanted to do that. Since he met Alec, all he’d wanted to do was mess up the perfect image he was projecting. No one was perfect, Magnus knew it, but seeing Alec always so put together and always saying the right thing to his father annoyed him. Now, he knew it was just a facade he used for work, just like he did for his own work but it was still nice to see Alec lose his control even more. So he let his hand down, he touched Alec’s cheek, his neck —God, the things he wanted to do to this neck— to land it on his firm and solid chest. He could feel his muscled under his hand so he decided to go lower but Alec caught his hand with one of his, before he leaned back.

“Maybe we should save that for later” he said, a little out of breath. “It’s not even our first date yet, remember?”

Magnus chuckled lightly, amused by Alec. How could a man that looked like that be so soft and gentle?

“You’re right. I should at least wait for our third date” he stated with a smile on his face.

“What makes you think we’ll even have a second date?” Alec couldn’t help but ask. Magnus’ eyes got even softer than they already were and Alec felt the blush become even more deep than it was.

“No that I’ve got you, I’m not letting you escape, Alexander” Magnus told him.

And that was all Alec needed to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so, so much for reading! I hope you like it. Maybe enough to read more of it? We may know about Magnus, but what do we know about Alec? Trust me, there's a lot going on behind the scenes, so I hope you'll be on board to discover it all. I also hope your hearts are ready for it, because even mine is not handling it well. I guess I'll see you soon. Take care guys! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Part II is next :)


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